Margo Chase
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Margo Chase (February 20, 1958 – July 22, 2017) was an American
graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscipli ...
er known for her eclectic and experimental design style. Chase was prolific – with a career bridging the graphic design field's transition from the analog to the digital era, working with clients ranging from
Selena Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...
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Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
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Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
and
Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...
.


Early life and education

Margo Chase was born on February 20, 1958, in San Gabriel, California. Chase grew up surrounded by the arts — both parents were musically-inclined, and Chase's mother was an accomplished calligrapher: "I grew up watching her make beautiful forms with strange pens and brushes." Chase attended California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo where she studied Biology with the intention of becoming a veterinarian. Wishing to bolster her GPA with an eye towards graduate school Chase began taking a variety of art classes, soon exhausting her options in CalPoly's arts department, leaving only an illustration class. What began as a quest for an easy 'A' lead her to abandon her veterinary aspirations for a career in medical illustration. Upon graduating with her B.S., Chase attended the University of California, San Francisco's medical illustration program though she dropped out after a year, citing boredom.


Work and career

With a portfolio of medical illustrations, Chase found work at a small advertising firm in Long Beach, designing packaging for the Ralph's grocery store chain. She was soon hired away by Rosebud Books to design a series of tourist guidebooks. During this time, Chase met Laura LaPuma, who would go on to give her her first album cover design job at Warner Brothers Records. As she accumulated more design work, Chase set up an office in her Silverlake home, hiring Nancy Ogami and studio manager Robert Short to assist in servicing clients such as Geffen Records, Virgin Records, and others. Chase designed logos for Prince's ''
Lovesexy ''Lovesexy'' is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Prince. The album was released on May 10, 1988 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded in just seven weeks, from mid-December 1987 to late Janua ...
'', as well as his Paisley Park production company. Attracting enough positive attention, she was asked to design the logo – and eventually the packaging – for Madonna's 1989 album '' Like a Prayer''. This opened the door for other high-profile projects such as Cher's ''
Love Hurts "Love Hurts" is a song written and composed by the American songwriter Boudleaux Bryant. First recorded by the Everly Brothers in July 1960, the song is most well known from the 1974 international hit version by Scottish hard rock band Nazaret ...
'', the poster campaign for 1992's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'', and others. Chase's work from this period of her career was quite distinct, taking inspiration from a wide variety of sources – calligraphy, illuminated manuscripts, and medieval architecture – leading publications to refer to her as the "Queen of Goth." Wary of being aesthetically pigeonholed, she took on work for linen manufacturer Matteo. What initially began as a logo and stationary design project morphed into full-blown textile and product design. During this time, Chase expanded her studio – hiring designer Terry Stone to help her launch into motion picture titles, as well as market her typographic work as a separate venture called "Gravy Fonts." After working with clients across the entertainment industry, Chase decided that she was a print designer at heart and turned her attention to packaging design, stating, "What I like about designing print or packaging is that when the job is finished there is something physical to show for it – it's timeless. With the broadcast work, once it's been seen, it's already old." Moving into the 2000s Chase, under the auspices of the Chase Design Group (formed 1997), previously known as Margo Chase Design (formed 1986), tackled branding and packaging for such varied clients as CVS, Procter & Gamble, Califia Farms, and others.


Personal life

Chase had a keen interest in piloting and aerobatics. Introduced to the sport through her father, she likened it to drawing in the sky. In 2008, Chase married Patrick Dugan, her flight instructor. An active member of the International Aerobatics Club, she participated in many club competitions. She died in a plane crash on July 22, 2017.


Awards and accolades

Chase received numerous awards and accolades throughout her career. ''Graphic Design USA'' named her as one of the "most influential graphic designers of the era," placing her in the company of
Saul Bass Saul Bass (; May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996) was an American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. During his 40-year career, Bass wor ...
,
Massimo Vignelli Massimo Vignelli (; January 10, 1931 – May 27, 2014) was an Italian designer who worked in a number of areas including packaging, houseware, furniture, public signage, and showroom design. He was the co-founder of Vignelli Associates, with his ...
, and
Paula Scher Paula Scher (born October 6, 1948, Washington, D.C.) is an American graphic designer, painter and art educator in design. She also served as the first female principal at Pentagram, which she joined in 1991.Scher, Paula." (n.d.): Oxford University ...
. The magazine also listed her eponymous studio among the "most influential design firm of the era."Staff (2006), 17.


References


External links


Chase Design GroupGravy Fonts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chase, Margo 1958 births 2017 deaths American graphic designers Women graphic designers California Polytechnic State University alumni California Institute of the Arts faculty Art Center College of Design faculty People from Los Angeles